Vickie,

I am an independent Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, but for one attorney-client, I work in-house one day a week. I no longer want to work in-house, as I prefer to focus on the attorney-clients that hire me as an independent consulting expert. I am very successful and do not need this job but I don’t know how to tell the attorney without burning a bridge or damaging what’s been a great relationship. What should I do?

Liz, RN, CLNC

Hi Liz,

Congratulations on making a decision that will ultimately strengthen your CLNC^® business. Start by telling the attorney you are expanding your legal nurse consulting business and can no longer work in-house for him. Emphasize that you value your business relationship and will always be available to him as an independent Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Next, give examples of how well this works with your other attorney-clients. Finally, emphasize the speed of electronic communication and your availability for personal meetings. Since you are already successful as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you have very little to lose and the attorney-client has everything to gain. Go for it!

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Comment and share your tips for saying no to attorney-clients.

I’ll be the first to admit it feels good to be right. There’s a comfort, if not outright confidence, in that moral certitude that comes from knowing you are correct in a situation. Recently a vendor and I disagreed over a matter that was objectively verifiable and I knew I was right. It took some effort on my part, but he finally agreed with me.

But when you’re in a relationship, whether it’s business or personal, being right rarely ends with being right. That’s because no one likes to feel that they’re wrong. When you’re right, there’s a right way and a wrong way to be right and a right way to respond when another person has to admit you’re the one who’s right. For example, while it may feel satisfying, annihilating the person or crushing him with the correctness of your position (as I admit I wanted to do in the above situation) is just not an option. And while it can be tough, a certain grace goes a long way if you want to get along with that person in the future.

The next time you’re right in your legal nurse consulting business, take a moment to consider the impact of how you communicate that fact to your attorney-client, subcontractor or MD expert. I’m not suggesting you back down, just that you tone it down and maintain a composed, confident demeanor. Your relationships are much more important than feeling good about being right – though you can still be right at the same time.

Success Is Inside!

Recently I was negotiating a deal with a company I’ve been doing business with for a long time. It became obvious that we had reached an impasse and we each settled on our “final” offers. A note about my negotiating philosophy: while I consider myself a strong negotiator, I’m not one to bluff very often in a business setting. I save my bluffing for poker games with my twin brother Vince (don’t tell him that’s how I won that last jackpot from him, LOL). I pride myself in creating and maintaining strong business relationships and always coming from a place of fairness and integrity in my dealings with other people – that’s why many of my vendor and business relationships are long-standing.

In this situation though, I got the impression that the other party was bluffing and was holding back more than they had put on the table. It wasn’t a “put up so you don’t have so much” moment; it was a “you can do better than you’re telling me” moment.

So in my own words, I let the other party know that I was willing to walk away from the deal if they didn’t step up to the bar. I made my case and offer and signed off from the negotiation. The other party had never experienced that from me before, so they knew I was serious. They waited, but I waited longer; they finally came back with an offer that was fair to both of us.

That reminded me of one of the most pivotal days in my legal nurse consulting business – the day I realized that if one attorney wasn’t willing to play according to my terms (terms that were favorable not to just one of us, but to both of us), there were more than a million others who might. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you’ve got to learn when to walk away from a deal because it isn’t meeting the needs or goals you’ve set for your CLNC^® business.

When that moment arrives, pull out your iPod^®, crank up Kenny Roger’s song “The Gambler,” sing along with the words, “you got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run” and give yourself the courage to make the decision that’s best for you.

Success Is Inside!

Successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultants know that being nice always pays off with your attorney-clients, subcontractors, vendors and employees. Being nice in no way implies that you are weak or have to kowtow to someone else’s whims, nor does it mean you’re always agreeable or a pushover. Being nice can mean that you have the ability to deliver an unpleasant message or opposing viewpoint while coming from a place of professionalism rather than emotion or antagonism.

In your CLNC^® business, whether you’re working with attorney-clients or subcontractors, it helps to have a consciousness about the way you express your dissatisfaction, dissenting opinion or tough message. Your behavior becomes part of that message and to be in control of your message, you have to be in control of yourself. When you’re not, people don’t hear the message and will often discount it because of the way they’ve perceived the delivery or even worse the messenger, no matter how you intended it.

Effective communicators know how to balance the message and the delivery. They don’t deliver bad news with a smile but with equanimity. They don’t disregard the feelings of others or put too much into how others feel about them. Instead they care more about the message itself and don’t load it with unnecessary baggage. Sometimes this means being nice, but more often it means being effective. You know when you’ve achieved the perfect balance when you “nicely” tell someone off and they thank you for it.

Take a moment to reflect on how you deliver your messages. Do you prefer to be “nice” and always relatable, rendering yourself and the people around you ineffective by failing to deliver dissenting viewpoints or tough messages when needed? If yes, you might need to redefine nice.

Do your messages get dismissed by others because they are laden with inappropriate emotions? If yes, learn how to detach from your own junk and the emotional responses of others.

Do you balance the art of nice and effective? If yes, congratulate yourself on achieving that balance but don’t strain your shoulder patting yourself on the back quite yet. Each new day will offer you a plethora of opportunities to choose between “nice” or “effective.” Be sure you choose wisely and consistently.

Success Is Inside!

I started my legal nurse consulting business with the intention of testifying, but working behind the scenes with attorneys was how I really built my business. Despite that fact, I was always open to testifying and did so occasionally. And that’s exactly what you should do when your attorney-client asks you to testify. That’s right, go ahead, say yes!

Testifying is free advertising and an instant credibility-builder with attorneys. When you’re up against the opposing attorney remember: that attorney is not the enemy, he’s just another potential prospect. If you do a great job, that attorney will never want to go up against you again. The result? He will be sure to hire you first on his next case.

Next time an attorney asks you to testify in a case don’t reject it outright, go for it all the way! Remember who you are, a registered nurse with valuable knowledge and years of nursing experience. And if you start to panic, remember that 95% of the cases will settle before trial anyway so your likelihood of reaching court is exceedingly low (really).

When you “just say no” to testifying, you’re not only missing a huge opportunity to demonstrate your proficiency, but missing out on the opportunity to gain new attorney-clients for life!

Success Is Inside!

P.S. What are your biggest fears about testifying? Comment here to share.

I just left New York City after my appearance on FOX & Friends. Alisyn Camerota, who interviewed me about my book Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman, is a pro. It was such an honor to interview with a strong woman who’s interviewed newsmakers like President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The entire crew was professional and fun. Everything went so smoothly it would be hard to imagine a better experience.

Contrast my fun day at Fox studio with an earlier experience at a different, unnamed, TV network. Start by imagining yourself in a hot TV studio waiting for an interview. Your host is in New York City and you’re in your hometown (in my case Houston), sitting in an uncomfortable swivel chair wearing an earpiece that allows you to hear some of the chaos going on behind the scenes. In front of you are the camera, an ultra-bright spotlight shining into your eyes and some tech-types running around trying to pull everything together and make it all work. This goes on for 45-50 minutes while you sit there with your best interview face on, trying not to act bored or to allow the people in the studio back in the Big Apple see you fidget.

Unlike my spectacular experience at Fox, everything that could have gone wrong that morning did – connections failed, the lighting was off and cameras malfunctioned. I was sitting in front of the unforgiving eye of the camera the whole time, not knowing who was watching me because while they could see me, I could not see them. I was trying to smile, hold my bladder (nursing experience came in handy) and resist the temptation to pull out my iPhone^® and check email.

Finally, the voices in my ear became serious; someone shouted “Live” and we were rolling for another interview related to Wicked Success. Minutes later we were done and the interview was in the can. As we were leaving, Tom remarked that he was surprised that I sat there so long without visibly fidgeting. He’s used to seeing me move a lot.

It wasn’t easy nor was it my idea of a fun way to spend 45 minutes. So, I just sat there quietly when I preferred to fidget and struggled to practice the interview in my mind instead of focusing on all the things that aren’t getting done while I sit and smile.

The principles that I apply in a TV studio apply to you as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant when you go into an attorney’s office (whether for an interview or presentation). Appointments will be delayed, important phone calls will come up for the attorney and sometimes you can sit there for what seems at least two eternities before the assistant finally summons you into the attorney’s office. In the meantime, under the watchful eye of the receptionist you can work yourself into an agitated state, squirm, check the time repeatedly and make faces at each passing minute, or sit quietly or start up a friendly conversation (they’re called the gatekeeper for good reason!). Either way, your behavior will be reported to the assistant and maybe even the attorney herself.

Remember, from the moment you walk into that law office, you’re already in the interview or presentation. It’s just not enough to show up on time; it’s how you show up as a CLNC^® consultant.

Success Is Inside!

All smart business owners use social media to promote their services or products and so should CLNC^® consultants. Here are some simple ways successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultants are using social media in their CLNC^® businesses.

Talk to Your Friends – Let all of your friends know you are a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Ask each friend to connect you with an attorney she knows. Almost everyone knows an attorney, so if you have 250 friends, that’s 250 attorney-prospects waiting to hear about you and your CLNC^® services.

“In this day and age, one would be foolish not to utilize the marketing power of social media to help get the word out that you’re a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Through social media I have been very fortunate to have numerous friends and family members actually network for me. Their efforts have led to new attorney-clients and successful business relationships. New cases coming my way with no effort on my part – you can’t beat that!”

Julie Somen-Becker, RN, BSN, CLNC

Talk to Your CLNC^® Colleagues – Invite your CLNC^® subcontractors and colleagues to be your friend. Social media’s messaging tools are a convenient way to refer cases to expand each other’s business. Direct messaging is also convenient for referring experts and CLNC^® consultants.

“My social media contacts are primarily Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. I only spend 6-7 minutes a day on social media, but I have increased my pool of CLNC^® subcontractors with that minimal time investment. It’s well worth the time that you invest if you spend it wisely.”

Lawrence Frace, RN, CLNC

“I use social media to network with Certified Legal Nurse Consultants about potential testifying experts and new ideas for marketing campaigns. I’ve received some great ideas from other CLNC^® consultants and have reciprocated with some of my favorite rain-making tips. Keep your posts professional and assume everything that you write is public.

Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC

Talk to Attorneys and Share Information – You might not want to “friend” your attorney-clients in order to avoid blending your personal and professional life. However, the question really doesn’t have to be “Do I friend or not?” Just create a business page for those professional relationships. That way you can keep your “friend” profile private and your “professional” page public. Your professional page can be a place to post useful links, share information, foster a sense of community and maintain your presence as a valuable resource.

“One attorney was asking a question about an OB case. I used this opportunity to educate him about the issues in his case, and by doing this I gained his trust. About a month later when I sent him a marketing packet and followed up with a phone call, he offered me that exact same OB case to review.”

Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC

Facebook and Google Plus have made it easier than ever to get involved in social media. It’s a new world full of opportunities to expand your legal nurse consulting business. Used practically, professionally and purposefully, it can help expand your pool of CLNC^® subcontractors and experts, keep you in touch with your network of CLNC^® colleagues and attorney-clients and help you find new markets and attorney-prospects for your CLNC^® services.

Success Is Inside!

Phil Newman, RN, CCRN, CLNC, shares how he applies the old “lunch and learn” concept to attorneys. He also discusses how to get into the offices of attorney-prospects after meeting them at his legal conference exhibits.

 
Congratulations, Phil and thanks for sharing two effective marketing strategies for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants.

Success Is Inside!

You wouldn’t have a CLNC^® business without your attorney-clients. And once you gain an attorney-client, you want to keep that client for life. A single attorney can represent hundreds of thousands of revenue dollars to you as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. The CLNC^® Pros share 12 tips for retaining attorney-clients through good old-fashioned customer service. That’s right – simple customer service is always in vogue. Check in and grade yourself on how you’re applying these attorney-client retention strategies.

Track Your Cases

1. I track all my cases using what I call a “Priority Review Table.” As each case comes in, I quickly add it to the table including the type of project, due date and the assigned CLNC^® subcontractor. I also track the progress of the project from beginning to end. This table acts as a quick reference so that when an attorney-client emails a question or needs to reprioritize the case, I am able to respond promptly without taking time away from the project that is in front of me. It also helps me to focus and maintain my productivity levels.
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

Respond Promptly to Requests

2. I respond to emails and phone calls from attorney-clients within 24 hours. Since I travel quite a bit, I rely heavily upon my Blackberry^®. If an email streams across that can wait until I return to my office later that day, I respond at that time. If not, I am able to acknowledge my client’s request quickly. This gives the attorney confidence that I’m on it.
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

3. My attorney-clients know that I am available to them at any time. I tell them to call or email me with any questions or to bounce ideas off of me. The attorneys appreciate this. I also extend the same invitation to their paralegals.
   – Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC

Meet or Beat Deadlines

4. I always meet or beat deadlines. Although I make every effort to educate my attorney-clients that planning ahead helps me to help them, sometimes “rushes” are required. When I am able to accommodate the “rush” or even beat the deadline, it communicates accountability and reliability time and time again and keeps the relationship strong.
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

5. Keep your time commitments. Always carefully consider deadlines when making commitments to your attorney-clients. Think about the work and other deadlines you already have, so you do not over commit and risk compromising your work product and reputation.
   – Linda Turner, RN, MSN, NNP-BC, CLNC

Practice Quality Improvement

6. Working with employees, subcontractors and various vendors makes quality improvement paramount to the success and reliability of my CLNC^® business practices. I have regular conversations not only with my attorney-clients, but with their paralegals, legal assistants and secretaries to obtain feedback, receive suggestions, discuss concerns and welcome compliments!
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

Stay in Touch

7. While a case is active, I stay in close contact with the attorney. I don’t call or email them for every little thing, but I do make a point of letting the attorney know when I discover new and important information in the case. I keep the attorney informed about my progress and create an atmosphere of joint collaboration.
   – Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC

Leave Your Other Cases at the Door

8. Let your attorney-clients believe that they and their cases are the only things on your mind when you are dealing with them. There is no reason for them to know you are juggling 10 cases at one time!
   – Margaret Gallagher, RN, BSN, MSN, CLNC

Give a Little Extra

9. I anticipate the attorney’s needs and always give a little more than requested. For example when I am screening a case, I add a few relevant research studies. On the invoice, I indicate this “free gift” by writing no charge – professional courtesy.
   – Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC

10. I always give my clients more than they expect. In addition to the agreed-upon reports and services, I always try to do a little something extra, like a chart, some deposition questions or articles. I want them to know that they always get their money’s worth.
    – Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC

11. Always inform the attorney of other CLNC^® services you can provide as they relate to the case you are working on.
    – Mildred Mannion, RN, BSN, CNOR, CLNC

Live the Golden Rule

12. Treat your attorney-client exactly the way you want to be treated. When you provide first-class service, you usually get first-class response in return.

    – Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC

Thanks to all the CLNC^® Pros for sharing their attorney-client retention strategies.

Success Is Inside!

We are bombarded with thousands of messages and communications in a single day. So how can you possibly stay in the mind of attorney-clients who are bombarded with email following them everywhere, clients calling and staffers vying for their attention? The CLNC^® Pros share 6 strategies for fun, creative and noninvasive ways to retie the connections with your attorney-clients. The goal: to remind them you are there to make the next case a little easier and more profitable.

Stay in Touch

1. After a case is finished, I stay in touch with my attorney-clients, even if they don’t have another case for me immediately. I keep it light and focus on how they are doing and how their legal practice is going. Many of them proceed to tell me about cases they are working on, which creates opportunities as well as trust.
   – Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC

Add Your Attorney-Clients to Your Gift List

2. During the holiday season, remember your attorney-clients. Mailing holiday cards will keep your name in front of them and fresh in their minds. Give special tokens of appreciation to your preferred attorneys, their secretaries and paralegals.
   – Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

3. I always acknowledge my attorney-clients at the holiday season. The gifts are not expensive, but I always send something to acknowledge our relationship. Additionally, I send birthday cards. These small gestures create a friendly and professional relationship. It especially pays off when a new attorney-prospect calls me and tells me one of my attorney-clients has referred me and has said that not only do I do a good job, but I am easy to work with, approachable and flexible. Those are the best referrals. Then I know I have done a good job of building successful relationships with my attorney-clients.
   – Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC

4. Once a year, I take my attorney-clients out to lunch (my treat) to show them how much I appreciate their business. This not only strengthens our relationship, it often leads to more work for me!
   – Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC

5. I send congratulatory notes and sometimes small gifts that have significance. I often told one of my oldest attorney-clients (not that he’s old…he’s one of my first clients) that he was a tough old attorney, and that he was one of my clients that didn’t require a lot of hand-holding. He always thought that was funny. He had a particularly large jury verdict in one of his cases. Instead of sending him a nice little note, I sent a cactus to him with a card that said “You are tough as a cactus. You thrive in adversity, and you don’t need water very often.” That was probably 15 years ago, and he still has that cactus in his office. He also tells me that it’s the only plant he hasn’t killed!
   – Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC

Feed the Attorneys Information

6. I retie the connection with information. I send out an oversized postcard with my contact information on one side and an article or fun facts on the other. I send different postcards quarterly. For example, when swine flu was the hot topic, I sent out a postcard with facts that everyone should know about how to protect themselves and stay healthy. These postcards are a big hit with the whole office staff. It reminds them that I am still out there without me calling them. If you notice something of interest to your attorney-client in a newspaper, journal or magazine, clip it out and send it with a personal FYI note.
   – Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC

Thanks to all the CLNC^® Pros for sharing their strategies to retie the connection with attorney-clients.

Success Is Inside!